OC Art Blog

Jerry Burchfield Remembered

On September 11, 2009, an Orange County artist passed away.  Photographer, and Educator Jerry Burchfield died of colon cancer.   He was a member of the Legacy Project, and taught at Cypress College, Saddleback College, and Orange Coast College.  His amazing career includes documenting the El Toro Marine Base, saving Laguna Canyon, and establishing a successful gallery-he put the B in BC Space. 

Burchfield’s work in the OC art scene never ceased as he was battling illness.  Two upcoming exhibitions-which Burchfield worked on until his recent death-illustrate his passion for not only creating his own art but supporting other artists as well.

In February, the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA. will host a group exhibit highlighting over 30 years of exhibitions and performances by the BC Space Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA.  Established by Mark Chamberlin and Jerry Burchfield in 1973, BC Space is the oldest established gallery in Orange County. Located in Laguna Beach, the space began as a facility for developing high quality photographs; it quickly morphed into the first venue in Southern California to feature fine art photography. Over the years, the exhibitions evolved to represent a range of media and became increasingly political in scope: addressing national, international, and local issues. For example, The Laguna Canyon Project garnered national media attention, involved thousands of Southern California residence, and ultimately saved the canyon from development.

More recently, Biola University will honor Burchfield with A Tribute to the Life & Art of Jerry Burchfield.  What was originally meant to be an exhibition focusing on the relationship between man and nature, quickly turned into a retrospective of Burchfield’s work.  The exhibition opens Tuesday, September 22, 2009, with a reception from 7-10pm.  The following week, Tuesday, September 29, 2009 a memorial will be held in the Mayers Auditorium where family and friends can attend and speak.

Ceci n'est pas une home

Last Saturday I went to a friend’s house… I mean art installation.  I was at an art installation and I had to keep reminding myself I was at an art installation.  There was food in the fridge, slippers by the EZ chair, and a bug zapper on the back porch, but this was not a house.  This was the Great Divide inside the SCA gallery in Pomona.  The Great Divide, organized by Orange County artists Daniel Zarcharczuk, Corey Granados, Ricky Yarnall, Nicole Sloan, Kelly Rice, and Phuc Le is a commentary on the contemporary family unit presented as domestic space. 

Having less than two weeks to fabricate this space makes the accomplishments of these artists even more incredible.  The heels by the door, slippers by the chair, empty birdcage, and library book on the coffee table suggest the tired existence of a busy family, who want nothing more than to come home, retreat, and forget the day.  The kitchen, despite the adorable curtains, novelty coffee mug and nautical artifacts is more of a relic from a more attentive existence.  And the dining room, the savior of any twentieth century family, where gathering together for a home-cooked meal mended feelings of animosity is in complete disarray.

Even though the dining room is the spectacle of the installation it is the details that strengthen this work.  The carpet, wood flooring, and back door constantly placed me in a strangers home, where I wiped my feet, felt bad for looking in the medicine cabinet, and hesitated to grab a drink from the fridge without an invitation from my host.  What these artists achieved physically and psychologically surpasses any description I can give the Great Divide. 

These pictures do not do the art justice.-Krystal

MANIFESTATION - Sept 24th reception @ Pacific Design Center

Hi Everyone, 

So after you stop by the New Wight Gallery for the 'Without' exhibition, I suggest you head over to the Pacific Design Center for the MANIFESTATION installation with Carrie Paterson, another Cal State Fullerton connection. 

Carrie is an interdisciplinary artist and writer, based in Los Angeles.   She graces the halls of CSUF art department as instructor of a graduate writing class.  We are proud to announce her participation with Carl Berg Projects at the Pacific Design Center.

Here's all the info you will need:

MANIFESTATION

September 8 - October 16

at the Pacific Design Center 

with Carl Berg Projects

http://www.carlbergprojects.com

 

Reception to be held in conjunction with the Design Loves Art event
Thursday, September 24
5-8pm

http://www.pacificdesigncenter.com/_pdf/Art_Map.pdf 

Carl Berg Projects @ Pacific Design Center

8687 Melrose Avenue, spaces B215 and B315, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Manifestation, installation in progress (SPACE B215)

Joshua Aster, Phil Bower, Claudia Bucher, Lindsay Brandt, Tanya Brodsky, Byoung, Claus Castenskiold, Mike Cronin, Steve DeGroodt, David DiMichele, Brian Hollister, Mitsuko Ikeno, Kristi Kent, Matthew May, David McDonald, Michael C. McMillen, Donnie Molls, Patti Oleon, Carrie Paterson, Paul Paiement, Max Presneill, Ephraim Puusemp, Matthew Ready, David Redwood, Allen Tombello, Allard Zoetman

Erin Dunn, Salt Spray Garden, solo exhibition (SPACE B315)

Carl Berg Projects

Carl Berg Projects (CBP) is a new art venture by Carl Berg that will engage in the organization and curation of exhibitions around the greater Los Angeles area. Its primary venue is at the Pacific Design Center  (PDC) in SPACES B215 and B315 where it will be hosting ongoing exhibitions. CBP will be joined by several other galleries and curatorial projects at the Design Center over the next several months.

CBP’s two spaces at the Design Center occupy over 10,000 square in two very different spaces. SPACE B215 is a 4500 square foot large open space with a more traditional gallery look.  SPACE B315 on the other hand is a multi-room space that has distinctive architectural features reminiscent of a small European provincial museum where the architecture is preserved, and not subjugated to the display of the art.

The Pacific Design Center is located at 8687 Melrose Avenue on the corner of Melrose Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood.

  

Opening Sept 24th - 'Without' UCLA New Wight Gallery

Check out the group exhibition featuring Cal State Fullerton's very own Daniel Porras, MFA Painting. Hope you all can make it.  Good luck Danny!

j

Without

September 24 - October 8, 2009
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 24 at 5-8pm

Without is a themed exhibition of works by California MFA students curated by Meleko Mokgosi, graduate student in the UCLA Department of Art. This exhibition begins with the stipulation that all featured artists are either from or descendants of "non-Western" regions and cultures. As there is no trenchant division between "Western" and "non-Western," especially given today's transcultural context, we apply these terms in the loosest sense. Our definition of "non-Western" includes countries—specifically those in Africa, Asia and Latin/Central America—whose cultural and material histories have often been excluded within the Western canon of art history.

Observing individual artistic practices will re-locate the need for specificity in the gallery context; a need that has been lost within many contemporary trends that ignore differences in order to produce a more uniformed, global (and arguably more digestible) culture. Biographical details—where someone is from, receives an education and currently resides—are inescapable factors contributing to one's creative production. This exhibition will not only further engage viewers' sensitivities to geographical and cultural diversity but also examine how "non-Western" art is displayed and historicized.

Cat Chiu Phillips Bulsa I (Pockets), mixed media 24" x 24"		Connie DK Lane Born in China, clay slips, burlap, and mixed media, dimensions variable
Noritaka Minami Conflating Modernity, mixed media, 27" x 48"		Steven Kim Blue, oil on canvas, 24" x 24"
Rashin Fahandej Maku, video still		Allison Alford 211, acrylic paint, digital image print on panel, 7" x 7"

Artists:

Allison Alford Claremont Graduate University	Rashin Fahandej San Francisco Art Institute	crystal am nelson San Francisco Art Institute
Daniela Campins Univeristy of California, Santa Barbara	Rema Ghuloum California College of the Arts	Thinh Nguyen Claremont Graduate University
Carlos Castro San Francisco Art Institute	Steve Kim Claremont Graduate University	Daniel Porras California State University Fullerton
Cat Chiu Phillips San Francisco Art Institute	Connie DK Lane California State University Long Beach	Carlos Ramirez California College of the Arts
Harry Diaz California State University Long Beach	Noritaka Minami University of California, Irvine	Kenneth Tam University of Southern California
Alexis Disselkoen University of California, Irvine	Kusum Harchandrai Nairi San Francisco Art Institute	Paulina Velázquez Solís San Francisco Art Institute

New Wight Gallery
1100 Broad Art Center
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Gallery Hours:
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:30pm

Admission is free

Daily parking in Lot 3, $10
Short term parking available (payable at paystation) in Lot 3 North, $3/hour

Directions to Broad Art Center

For further information, please call (310) 825-0557

This exhibition program of the New Wight Gallery is made possible through the generous support of Dallas Price-Van Breda.

New Gallery in OC!

I'm a little late on this one because I think this is their second opening but we have a new gallery in the OC that we should all go out and support.

Rothick art haus is in Anaheim and their schedule and represented artists can be found on their website.

Jerry Burchfield RIP

Orange County artist and teacher Jerry Burchfield passed away last Friday.  After battling cancer Jerry died at the age of 62.  He was one of the co-founders of BC Space in Laguna Beach and a member of the photography collective Legacy Project.

In February Grand Central Art Center will exhibit a retrospective of BC Space and will no doubt honor all of his accomplishments in Orange County.

The OC Register article is HERE.

Muckenthaler, We Will Meet

For the two years I have lived in Fullerton I have meant to visit the Muckenthaler Cultural Center; it is local, it is affordable and it supports the arts.  Unfortunately, I never kept it on my radar-that is to say I never made an effort to learn about the new exhibits and attend regularly.  The few exhibitions I did hear about, frankly, did not interest me.  Based on this small sampling of shows I never attended I unfairly, and subconsciously concluded the Muckenthaler was for old people and made less of an effort to attend.

My impression of the Muckenthaler changed this morning when I received an e-mail invitation to play croquet and bocce ball.  The Muck is not for old folks, but old souls-Daisy Buchanans who live a life leisure and lawn sports.  

Sadly, I cannot attend tomorrow’s croquet and bocce ball tournament, but I will invite friends to join me for October’s date.  In the meantime I hope to attend Dancing with the Beatles, contemporary dance choreographed to songs by The Fab Four.  Whether I make it to this or not The Muckenthaler is now on my radar and I hope to visit soon. -Krystal

Muckenthaler Leisure League: Sundays, September 13 and October 11,  12:00 pm

Dancing with The Beatles: Thursday, September 17, 7:00 pm

"Veronica" 09/24/09 reception & Open call to text Artists @ Pitzer College

So while at the In Love With Night exhibition curator Ciara Ennis gave me the scoop on her upcoming group exhibition titled Veronica at Pitzer Art Gallery, Pitzer College.  Does she sleep?   For full detailed info regarding gallery hours and directions just click on the link above.

Here is the low-down for another brilliant exhibition and open call to text artists:

Rheim Alkadhi, Mathilde ter Heijne, Nadine Hottenrott, Karen Lofgren, Shana Lutker, Jeni Spota, Carrie Yury and Joy Whalen

Nichols Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries

September 24 — December 11, 2009

Opening Reception: September 24th, 5 — 8 PM 2009

Veronica draws together an all-woman cast of artists from the United States, Germany and The Netherlands whose works involve an examination of their cultural guideposts. Inspired by the myth of Saint Veronica—who mopped Jesus’s brow on the road to Golgotha resulting in an imprint of his face on her veil––the artists attempt to cleanse and update existing stereotypes and the icons that support them. Like Veronica, who committed a brave and selfless act, these artists have created courageous works that tackle gender, politics, religion and identity issues while freely indulging in the familiar tropes and rituals of ancient myth and magic. The result is a collection of visually compelling works that beguile with formal invention and persuade with thematic wit.

Emerging Artist Series #3

Nuttaphol Ma

This Land is Your Land

Lenzner Family Art Gallery, Pitzer Art Galleries

September 24 – November 20, 2009

Opening Reception: September 24th, 5 — 8 PM 2009

In the third installment of Pitzer’s Emerging Artist Series, Thai-born, Los Angeles based artist Nuttaphol Ma combines references to Manzanar—an abandoned Japanese relocation camp at the base of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range—with Woody Guthrie's missing lyrics from "This Land Is Your Land." Ma’s site-specific installation explores issues of displacement, migration and survival and asks whether "This Land Is Your Land" is still relevant to today’s new immigrants.

This Land is Your Land is co-organized with the 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica.

Launch: Writ Large

Open call for Text Artists

Pitzer Art Galleries announce the launch of Writ large a new exhibition project site for text work. Writ Large invites artists working with text to produce a temporary site-specific work for the curved wall of an interior staircase connecting the first and second floors of the Nichols Gallery. The wall is viewable from the main and balcony galleries yet occupies a distinct space all its own. Measuring 15 feet high by 10 feet wide the work will remain on view for 4 months. Each project will have its own announcement card, be celebrated by a reception for the artist(s), and will be featured on Pitzer Art Galleries website.

Information about submitting work:

Open call for text artists

Pitzer Art Galleries announce the launch of Writ Large a new exhibition project site for text work. Writ Largeinvites artists working with text to produce a temporary site-specific work for the curved wall of an interior staircase connecting the first and second floors of the Nichols Gallery. The wall is viewable from the main and balcony galleries yet occupies a distinct space all its own. Measuring 15 feet high by 10 feet wide the work will remain on view for 4 months. Each project will have its own announcement card, be celebrated by a reception for the artist(s), and will be featured on Pitzer Art Galleries website.

Project Specifications
There are no thematic or subject restraints. The individual letterforms should be no larger than 6 inches high and a maximum of 400 characters. The text should be designed with one color in mind. The Illustrator file with all fonts embedded should be sent to art_galleries@pitzer.edu. All work will be installed by Pitzer Art Galleries staff.

Yes, that's right. The exhibition will feature one of my favorite local artists Carrie Yury!!

So get those text entries rolling and hope you can make it out for the show- you can even pick-up a catalogue while you are there.

Thanks,

Joanna

in love with NIGHT- Guggenheim Gallery @ Chapman University

Now that summer is winding down and everyone is back in school, the fall exhibition season has begun.

Last night I stopped in to Chapman University's Guggenheim Gallery for the group exhibition 'in love with NIGHT,' curated by the dynamic duo Ciara Ennis and Max King Cap.   Excellent exhibition and live performance by LA based collective Department of Nocturnal Affairs (DNA).  Totally worth the trip up to Orange, so get on out there.  

There will also be a follow-up performance by DNA on Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm, departing from the Guggenheim Gallery.  Hope you can all join them for an investigation of nocturnal affairs on the Chapman campus.  It sounds like fun!

Here is the exhibition info:

IN LOVE WITH NIGHT
Curated by Max King Cap & Ciara Ennis
At the Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University
September 8 – October 9, 2009
Opening Reception:  Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
Artists: Department of Nocturnal Affairs • Ken Gonzales-Day 
Inga Dorosz • Shana Lutker • Chris Oliveria • Chloe Piene 
Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso • Alex Slade • Evan Dorkin 
& Jill Thompson • Erik van der Weijde • Michiko Yao

Here are some pics from the opening 

Caroline Maxwell, part of DNA, during performance at opening.

Tubes of paint matching colors found during research and investigative work by previous DNA interventions.  Call me silly but I just loved these pieces!! 

I can imagine tubes of paint for 'morning under-eye bags,' 'old coffee', and even 'toe jam' . . . why hasn't anyone thought of this before!!

installation

Ken Gonzales-Day's over-sized photographs were stunning.

Artist Michiko Yao still from video installation that was mesmerizing, referencing Dutch still life painting with a 21st century spin.  

Another gallery shot for your enjoyment.  If you look closely you can spy Chapman's very own Richard Turner hard at work.

Last but certainly not least, Chloe Piene still image from the creepy yet intoxicating Blackmouth (2004).  

This is just a taste of the works featured in the gallery. Hope you enjoyed the photos and have put next Tuesday's performance on your calendar.

peace, Joanna